Gift guide - Christmas books

Regan McMahon

Updated 4:03 pm, Wednesday, December 4, 2013

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Gift guide - Christmas books

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Santa Claus and the Three Bears, by Maria Modugno; illustrated by Jane Dyer and Brooke Dyer (Harper; $17.99; ages 4-8). In this seasonal twist on the classic fairy tale, Santa, not Goldilocks, tries stuff on for size while a family of three polar bears goes out for a walk on Christmas Eve.

Little Santa, by Jon Agee (Dial; $17.99; ages 3-5). This kooky origin story portrays young Santa in a red onesie, the youngest of seven Claus children who loves decorating pine trees and sliding down the chimney.

An Otis Christmas, by Loren Long (Philomel; $17.99; ages 3-7). When a mare is having trouble birthing her foal on Christmas Eve, and the farmer's truck plunges into a snowdrift as it sets out to fetch Doc Baker, Otis the tractor ("Otis," "Otis and the Puppy," etc.) decides to make the risky journey.

A Very Fuddles Christmas, by Frans Vischer (Aladdin; $15.99; ages 4-7). The pampered fat-cat star of "Fuddles" makes a mess of his owners' Christmas trimmings and gets banished outside, where he suffers bitter cold and gets lost in the unfamiliar snowy terrain.

The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Emma Thompson; faithfully illustrated by Eleanor Taylor (Warne; $20; ages 5-7). The Oscar-winning actress again channels Beatrix Potter in this follow-up to "The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit." Here, Peter helps save a turkey from becoming the holiday feast's main course.

Zoomer's Out-of-This-World Christmas, by Ned Young (Harper; $17.99; ages 4-8). In this third Zoomer book, the cheery pup and his brothers are scanning the skies for flying reindeer when a spaceship lands in their backyard. The friendly aliens, their robot and Seuss-like pet ("a yarple-headed gigantaziller") and snacks ("kookaloon sandwiches ... zoinkinfizz soda," etc.) make for a fun picnic and space soccer game.